The long awaited announcement of the Japanese policy vis-d-vis of China os decided unpen by the Imperial Conference at Tokyo, and now appears to be little different from what was anticipated by expert observers. in the Japanese capital. The expressed: intention to sever all relations with the Chinese government and to ce-operate with a new regime to be established "in "China presents no new development in the situation, for as this journal "pointed out on Saturday It was unthinkable that the Japanese should refuse recognition or ce-operation with a new Chinese government of its own creation. The text of the declaration as carried by Domei presents nothing new and in fact has all the appearances of having been drafted for home consumption entirely, and seeks to lay the blame for the Indeseribable misery of large sections of the Chinese population on the Nationalist Government "as the. result of their failure to Fecognize..the Japanese Government's "true motives" and the making of "reckless plans for a. continued. resistance."* The Government has therefore committed self to an extension of. its activities in Chine, and the long drawn out war which Chiang' Kalshek has consistently predicted is about, to become on established fact. The opinion. has. been expressed in Tokyo that Japan is able to continue protracted warfare for a very long time to come and without doubt it is better equipped for the purpose than is China. That will be doing itself considerable harm. cannot, however, be gainsald. Foreign Powers will note the assurance that there fas. been no change in the Japanese policy of respect ing the territorial integrity and sovereignty of China and the rights and interests of the that the declaration: will not tend to allay anxiety on this matter need cause no surprise.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.